(Acts 15:36–41; Acts 18:23–28)
1
And there were certain in Antioch, in the assembly there, prophets and teachers: both Barnabas, and Simeon who is called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen also—Herod the tetrarch’s foster-brother—and Saul;
2
and in their ministering to the LORD and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate to Me both Barnabas and Saul to the work to which I have called them,”
3
then having fasted, and having prayed, and having laid the hands on them, they sent [them] away.
On Cyprus
4
These, indeed, then, having been sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus,
5
and having come to Salamis, they declared the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews, and they also had John [as] a servant;
6
and having gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain magus, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name [is] Bar-Jesus;
7
who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man; this one having called for Barnabas and Saul, desired to hear the word of God,
8
and there withstood them Elymas the magus—for so is his name interpreted—seeking to pervert the proconsul from the faith.
9
And Saul—who also [is] Paul—having been filled with the Holy Spirit, and having looked steadfastly on him,
10
said, “O full of all guile, and all recklessness, son of a devil, enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the right ways of the LORD?
11
And now, behold, a hand of the LORD [is] on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season”; and instantly there fell on him a mist and darkness, and he, going around, was seeking some to lead [him] by the hand;
12
then the proconsul having seen what has come to pass, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the LORD.
In Pisidian Antioch
13
And those around Paul having set sail from Paphos, came to Perga of Pamphylia, and John having departed from them, turned back to Jerusalem,
14
and they having gone through from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia, and having gone into the synagogue on the day of the Sabbaths, they sat down,
15
and after the reading of the Law and of the Prophets, the chief men of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Men, brothers, if there be a word in you of exhortation to the people—say on.”
16
And Paul having risen, and having beckoned with the hand, said, “Men, Israelites, and those fearing God, listen:
17
the God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and He exalted the people in their sojourning in the land of Egypt, and He brought them out of it with a high arm;
18
and about a period of forty years He endured their conduct in the wilderness,
19
and having destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He divided their land to them by lot.
20
And after these things, about four hundred and fifty years, He gave judges—until Samuel the prophet;
21
and thereafter they asked for a king, and God gave to them Saul, son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years;
22
and having removed him, He raised up to them David for king, to whom also having testified, He said, I found David, the [son] of Jesse, a man according to My heart, who will do all My will.
23
Of this one’s seed, God, according to promise, raised to Israel a Savior—Jesus,
24
John having first preached, before His coming, an immersion of conversion to all the people of Israel;
25
and as John was fulfilling the course, he said, Whom do you suppose I am? I am not [He], but behold, He comes after me, of whom I am not worthy to loose the sandal of [His] feet.
26
Men, brothers, sons of the race of Abraham, and those among you fearing God, to you was the word of this salvation sent,
27
for those dwelling in Jerusalem, and their chiefs, having not known this One, also the voices of the Prophets, which are being read every Sabbath—having judged [Him]—fulfilled,
28
and having found no cause of death, they asked of Pilate that He should be slain,
29
and when they fulfilled all the things written about Him, having taken [Him] down from the tree, they laid Him in a tomb;
30
and God raised Him out of the dead,
31
and He was seen for many days of those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people.
32
And we proclaim good news to you—that the promise made to the fathers,
33
God has completed this in full to us their children, having raised up Jesus, as also in the second Psalm it has been written: You are My Son—I have begotten You today.
34
And that He raised Him up out of the dead, to no longer return to corruption, He has said this: I will give to You the holy [blessings] of David [that are] faithful;
35
for what reason He also says in another [place]: You will not give Your Holy One to see corruption;
36
for David, indeed, having served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, and was added to his fathers, and saw corruption,
37
but He whom God raised up, did not see corruption.
38
Let it therefore be known to you, men, brothers, that the forgiveness of sins is declared to you through this One,
39
and from all things in the Law of Moses from which you were not able to be declared righteous, everyone who is believing in this One is declared righteous;
40
see, therefore, it may not come on you that has been spoken in the Prophets:
41
See, you despisers, and wonder, and perish, because I work a work in your days, a work in which you may not believe, though anyone may declare [it] to you.”
A Light for the Gentiles
(Isaiah 49:1–6)
42
And having gone forth out of the synagogue of the Jews, the nations were calling on [them] that on the next Sabbath these sayings may be spoken to them,
43
and the synagogue having been dismissed, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were persuading them to remain in the grace of God.
44
And on the coming Sabbath, almost all the city was gathered together to hear the word of God,
45
and the Jews having seen the multitudes, were filled with zeal, and contradicted the things spoken by Paul—contradicting and slandering.
46
And speaking boldly, Paul and Barnabas said, “It was necessary that the word of God be first spoken to you, and seeing you thrust it away, and do not judge yourselves worthy of the continuous life, behold, we turn to the nations;
47
for so the LORD has commanded us: I have set you for a light of nations—for your being for salvation to the end of the earth.”
48
And the nations hearing were glad, and were glorifying the word of the LORD, and believed—as many as were appointed to continuous life;
49
and the word of the LORD was spread abroad through all the region.
50
And the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women, and the first men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and put them out from their borders;
51
and having shaken off the dust of their feet against them, they came to Iconium,
52
and the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
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